What the Hasselnuts designers have come up is an iPhone adapter that looks like a traditional film back. It incorporates a lot of clever elements, plus a dedicated iOS app that allows you to retain the analog shooting experience while creating digital images.

The first 44 backers can get the Hasselnuts back for $199. The second wave for $249. The estimated street price for the full production model next year is $349.

So, what would I do with this device? I've actually thought about this quite a bit. Other than the pure enjoyment of having my Blad sitting on a tripod in the studio once again, I would experiment with a few projects for Instagram and Flickr. A 6MP square image is more than enough resolution for social network use. And there's no lens on the planet that creates the look of the Zeiss Sonnar 150mm f/4 on a 500C body.

A spherical camera that pairs with your iPhone and is truly pocketable - that's the Ricoh Theta, just announced today.

Capturing spherical images is cool. But maybe not cool enough to spend $399 for a camera. But the idea that you can just hold the Theta up, take a shot, record everything around you, then crop what you want later... now that's interesting.

It's shooting distance is from 10 cm to infinity. So basically everything is in focus. The device pairs with an iPhone running the Theta app that allows you to view and share the images. There's also a Mac and Windows version.

The device has 4GBs of internal memory and builds Jpeg files. Most of the controls are auto, but it does have exposure compensation. The Theta has a tripod mount and can be controlled remotely by an iPhone running the app.

Ricoh created a few movies that demonstrate its function and capabilities. The device goes on sale in October. If I can get my hands on one, I'll report more.

Producing compelling images of everyday objects isn't as easy as it looks. In my latest lynda.com training, Enhancing Product Photography with Aperture, I show you how to put the finishing touches on your photos to make them shine.

The training covers a variety of post production techniques including:

Story #1 - The Canon EOS 70D improves on one of my favorite DSLRs of all time (60D) in a fascinating number of ways. The headliner is the Dual Pixel CMOS AF that finally brings real autofocus to live view on a DSLR.

Speaking of AF, the entire system is improved. I'm enjoying taking any type of picture with this camera. The 19-point all cross-type AF system (including a high-precision f/2.8 dual cross-type AF center point) is a blast. There are not too many AF points, but plenty to handle just about any situation. The AF selection button next to the shutter button makes choosing the right pattern a snap.

I also cover the built in WiFi, HDR, multiple exposure, video snapshot, and more in this hands-on review.

Story #2 - A New (and very cool) Podcast Player for our weekly podcasts. I've been searching for a podcast player that will let us listen to the weekly shows on mobile devices and computers alike. We found a great solution and worked hard to implement it. You can now play the weekly shows right off the web page regardless of the device you're using at the moment. I explain in the second segment of the show.

Story #3 - Know Your Lens. Reading test reports are good, but do you really know how your favorite lenses perform on your camera and the way you shoot? It's easy to find out, and in my opinion, well worth the time investment.

Make Your Photos Sizzle with Color! -- SizzlPix is like High Definition TV for your photography.Special Summer Sale! Just add "TDS: in the comments space of your SizzlPix! order, and you will get 20 percent off the entire order. Sale ends Sept. 21. Take advantage now.

Need a New Photo Bag? Check out the Lowepro Specialty Store on The Digital Story and use discount code LP20 to save 20% at check out.

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Online reviews on the 17mm lens ranged from good to great. Because there wasn't consensus on its performance, I tested the optic a bit more than I normally do a new purchase. And I'm glad I did. The results are fascinating.

Image Sharpness

Optimal performance for 17mm was at f/4. Center sharpness was excellent and edge sharpness was very good with no vignetting. I doubt that I would stop down this lens beyond f/8 because of diminishing returns in optical performance due to diffraction. Overall image quality was best at f/2.8, f/4, and f/5.6.

Olympus 17mm f/1.8 prime lens at f/4. Photo by Derrick Story

Where things get interesting is shooting at f/1.8. Center sharpness is still quite good, but the edges of the frame soften a bit and there's some vignetting. Different photographers will interpret this result various ways. For me, I'm thinking that this is the aperture I'd use for portraits with the 17mm.

Shooting wide open at f/1.8 softens the corners a bit and introduces mild vignetting.

For everyday shooting, I would use Aperture Priority mode set to f/4, then for portraits, open up to f/1.8. Also if you look closely at the edges of the frame, there is some purple and green color fringing on the fence. I checked this performance against my $1,200 Panasonic Lumix 12-35mm zoom at the same focal length and aperture, and its color fringing was about the same or even a bit more pronounced than the Olympus 17mm. (BTW: I love this fence for color fringing testing!)

Fit and Finish

The physical characteristics of the lens are beautiful. Its all metal construction with "snap focus" mechanism allows me to quickly move from auto focus to manual focusing. Focusing tension is well damped when in snap focus mode. The engraved distance markings are a nice touch.

One feature of this lens that's very important to me is the actual infinity focus setting. Most Micro Four Thirds lenses have a focusing ring that spins forever in either direction. That's fine for autofocusing. But if you are working in the dark, such as photographing a night sky, it's very difficult to get accurate focus. On this lens, you simply rotate the ring all the way to the left until it stops, and you are at infinity. It sounds like a small thing... until you need it.

Bottom Line

I've had a difficult time taking this lens off the silver OM-D. I initially bought this kit as a back-up body for my black OM-D because I don't think we're going to see anything like this camera ever again.

But to be honest, I don't think I've shot with the black OM-D since this purchase. The 17mm f/1.8 lens is addicting. The first picture I published with this lens, Light at the End of the Tunnel on Instagram was a hit with my following.

Personally, I like how the characteristics of the lens change from wide open to f/4. Other photographers who like consistent edge-to-edge sharpness at all apertures won't be as thrilled with this optic. But if you're a creative photographer, a street shooter, or someone who appreciates great design, then I can't imagine you not loving the Olympus 17mm f/1.8 prime lens.

Join me on my Instagram site as I explore the world of mobile photography. And now Instagram features 15-second movies too.

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The Samsung Galaxy GC110 is an ambitious product. The camera takes good pictures -- with a few nits concerning white balance and focusing -- and has an amazing optical zoom. The LCD is beautiful, especially when using the GC110 as an Android device. But in bright light, it's hard to compose photos. And the touchscreen-only approach still isn't as convenient as well-placed buttons and dials. As a camera, it's definitely more urban than country.

Pros and Cons for Samsung Galaxy Camera

Pros

Impressive 21X optical zoom

WiFi connectivity

8GBs internal storage plus accepts micro SD cards up to 64GBs

Capable Android device

Easy to use HD video mode with real time zooming

3.7 volt Lithium Ion battery holds up well thanks to conservative power management

Compatible with 8 music formats

Includes Bluetooth and GPS

Big, colorful LCD

Surprisingly good camera performance indoors

Cons

Auto white balance performs better indoors than outside

Autofocusing generally good, but can become confused

Difficult to compose shots in bright sunlight

Performance can lag at times

Strict power management results in quick sleep mode

Large size (5.07" wide by 2.79" tall) makes it not really a compact camera

Current $449 price tag puts it in the investment category

I think those who come to love the GC110 will think of it as a multifunctional Android device first and an everyday camera second. It's most useful when WiFi is within reach. If you don't want to tote an iPad or Android tablet, but you want the pretty screen and software capabilities, the Galaxy should be a good choice. And when you do need to take pictures, you'll have a 21X optical zoom, 16MP sensor, and plenty of bells and whistles to help you capture the moment.

You can easily (and quickly!) improve your portraits by learning just a few basic techniques in Aperture 3.4. In this 2-hour training titled, Portrait Retouching with Aperture I apply a subtle hand to my people shots, and Aperture's toolset is just the ticket for performing natural-looking enhancements. People say to me after reviewing the images, "Wow, I really looked great that day!"

In this course, I cover just about everything you need to know, including:

Assessing your image

Retouching blemishes

Enhancing skin texture

Adding highlights to the hair

Adjusting clothing and backdrop color

Brightening and sharpening eyes

Converting to black and white

This Welcome Movie (1 min) will provide you with a visual overview of what I'm covering.

Are you debating between Eye-Fi and Transcend to WiFi-enable your camera? If so, you may want to read the DP Review article, Battle of the Wi-Fi Cards: Eye-Fi vs. Transcend. The author explores various capabilities such as transfer rate, flexibility, and maximum range for transmission.

Interestingly enough, however, DP Review focuses on the Eye-Fi 16GB Pro X2 SDHC and not the more modern Eye-Fi Mobi, that for my money is the best WiFi card on the market right now. In my testing, the Eye-Fi Mobi 16 GB SDHC ($72)
is second only to having WiFi built in to your camera, and in some cases it's even better than that.

That being said, there's lots of good information in the DP Review article, and it will help you get up to speed on what to consider in a WiFi memory card.

A teaser published on Olympus Europe hints at a new camera that could possibly accept both Micro Four Thirds and Four Thirds mount lenses.

This could be a blessing for photographers with a stock of excellent Four Thirds glass. No details given at this time. But the image points to a new camera and the complete inventory of lenses in both mounts.

You can however, be put on an immediate notification list by completing a simple web form. We'll probably know more about this sooner than later.

Admist a flurry of Sony announcements last night, I think the big news is the release of three new E-Mount lenses. Sony has consistently developed terrific Compact System Camera bodies, but where they've suffered at the hands of the mirrorless competition is with their lens catalog.